Ensign Resource Service Group (ESI.TO)

It has a decent balance sheet but some operations are in difficult places. It is a high beta stock and will do well when the cycle turns. The company has some assets that are going to under-perform for some time to come. There are more attractive names.

This stock compares to Trinidad Drilling (TDG-T) and both are on his coverage list. He likes what he sees out of Ensign. It has $740 million debt versus $1.7 billion of equity. Their book value is $10.77 and the stock trades at $6. They have a very big presence in the United States. Of $1 billion in 2017 revenue, $459 billion came from the US, $262 from Canada and the rest international. They’re in the Middle East and in Mexico and Venezuela. Venezuela adds some risk to the stock. He is hoping to add coverage on weakness.

He likes the company. Book value is $10.77, he thinks the downside is $5. It traded around $14 to $15 in the last bull market for energy, so he sees the potential for a triple, but it is a stock that requires patience. There is potential for a 10 to 15% downside in the Q2 weakness.

(A Top Pick Jan 6 /17, Down 29.59%) When you buy cyclical, you need to be prepared when it goes the wrong way. This is still a world class company. They have done a lot of innovation through the years, return on capital has been very consistent for many years, and of course the last few years haven’t been great. The services companies are really tough, they are the first ones to get cut, and then when things starts to get better they are the last ones to go up. Energy didn’t quite have as good a year as they thought and services got left behind.

The 2^nd largest driller in Canada with significant international drilling operations as well. This is a derivative play on the energy sector. Unlike some of the other service companies, it has not performed that well from a stock perspective.